Nighttime wanderings
by marbienl
Summary: Pre-LOTR. Just back from a patrol, Elrohir cannot find any sleep, but it seems that there is someone else in the Last Homely House who cannot find any rest this night.
1. 1

**Title:** Nighttime wanderings

**Author:** marbienl

**Summary:** Pre-LOTR. Just back from a patrol, Elrohir cannot find any sleep, but it seems that there is someone else in the Last Homely House who cannot find any rest this night.

**Disclaimer:** don't own them. They belong to J.R.R Tolkien…

**A/N:** Slightly AU again as I pretend Gilraen had died as well in the orc attack. This is just a little bunny that popped into my head while I was working on something else, so I decided to write and post it. You know I'm not Tolkien, so if the characters or anything seems off to you, forgive me for taking the liberty with them. A hint if you have trouble understanding what Estel is saying, speak the words aloud – that should help. Enjoy!

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No matter how hard he tried, Elrohir couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he wasn't tired – he was tired to the bone! Elladan and he had only just returned from patrol and after a hot bath the bed had beckoned him. So he had lain down in its softness, but after many twists and turns the young elf had found out that no position he tried would allow him to lie comfortably and let him drift off to sleep. Frustrated, the younger twin grabbed his pillow from the floor where he had discarded it only moments earlier and punched it several times before placing it back at the head of the bed. He would give it one more try and if it didn't work this time he would go to the kitchen for some hot milk – it had always worked to put his little brother fast asleep after one of his nightmares, so it could do wonders for him as well!

_This is folly, _he angrily thought, _the only thing I want is to get some sleep this night! _The elf forced himself to relax, visualizing the tension moving out of his body; first leaving his neck, then his shoulders and all the way down to his toes until his body was quite relaxed. Like this, Elrohir waited… and waited… He tried to clear his mind of all thoughts and had nearly succeeded when they came back to him with a vengeance. Giving up after several minutes, he nearly jumped off the bed and frustrated, walked towards his balcony. The twin looked at the stars twinkling merrily in the sky and for a moment it seemed as if they were playing a song he couldn't hear. Cool night air blew gently in his face, feeling soothing to his tired mind. _Hot milk it is!_ he decided.

Just as he had made his decision, Elrohir heard the sound of small footsteps in the corridor just passing his room. _Now what is Estel doing out of bed at this hour? _Silently walking to his door, he opened it and quickly looked to the left where he could still hear the small patter of little feet. He could see the tiny figure turning around the corner, unaware that he had attracted someone's attention.

Deciding he had nothing better to do and to make sure his little brother was all right, Elrohir started following him. Whenever he had a nightmare, Estel would always go to either of the twins or his father, but this time he had passed their rooms and was walking towards the kitchen.

Elrohir hurriedly ran up to his little brother, cringing as he was just in time to stabilise an ancient vase that the small human had nearly knocked off its stand. It was much too dark for the boy to figure out where or what the obstacles were. "Estel!" he hissed – hopefully soft enough not to wake any sleeping elves, yet loud enough for the child.

Estel, however, gave no sign that he had heard anything and kept on walking, hugging his favourite pillow close to his chest. It had been the first thing the child had seen when he had entered Elrond's study a little more than two years ago. Tired from the long journey and still crying, the youngster had fallen asleep on the couch with the pillow clutched tightly to his chest. It had hardly left his side after that – not even a stuffed animal had been able to take its place. Raising one questioning eyebrow, the twin moved next to his brother and studied him closely. The boy's eyes were staring dully ahead, not seeming to notice the elf next to him. It wasn't _that _dark! "Estel? What you are doing here this time of night?"

Still no response… Slowly, Elrohir moved one hand in front of Estel's face, but the boy gave no indication that he had seen it and kept on walking. "Estel, stop ignoring me!" the twin now angrily hissed, shaking the child slightly.

Estel stopped moving and slowly, his face turned towards him. Blurry eyes were peering back at him, but no recognition was in them. _Is he ill perhaps? _Elrohir gently felt the boy's forehead, but upon detecting no heat decided this wasn't the case. "What are you doing out of bed, young man?" he softly scolded, bending down so he was more eye level to the child.

"Suwchin'…" Estel replied, his gaze wandering all around, yet it was too dark for human eyes to make out anything more than a yard away.

"Searching for what?" Elrohir questioned further.

Unexpectedly, two small arms wrapped themselves around his neck, the pillow still clutched tightly in one hand and a curly head nestled into his shoulder. "You see dada?" a frightened voice asked, seemingly much younger than Estel's four years.

Not knowing what to think of this situation, Elrohir carefully pulled Estel up with him and continued walking in the direction of the kitchen. "Ada's asleep now, little one, so I'm afraid you'll have to do with me now unless you want me to go and wake him?" Feeling his little brother vigorously shaking his head, he continued, "Did you have another nightmare?"

Elrohir could feel a small nod against his shoulder and he started stroking the child's hair. "Why didn't you come to one of us then?" he asked, meaning Elladan and himself, "You know we're always there for you…"

A shiver ran through the body in his arms and the small arms tightened even further around his neck as if afraid to let go. "Coud'n fine you," a tiny, trembling voice whispered.

Elrohir continued to soothe the distraught child, wondering how that was possible since Estel never had this problem before. "Do you wish to tell me what it was about, your nightmare?" The young elf had to strain his ears to be able to hear Estel's reply and when he did his heart clenched in anguish.

"Dey huwt you 'n dada… big monsuws…" Estel replied between small sniffles, "'N I waked 'n you gone! I did'n see you so I looked fow dada!"

Clearly hearing now that Estel said 'dada' instead of 'Ada', Elrohir was puzzled even more. His little brother had never used that term with their father, having immediately called him such with the elven equivalent. The twin soothed, "I'm here now, little one. It was just a dream. What do you think of some warm milk to fill your tummy and help you sleep?"

Huge, pleading eyes looked up at him – still bleary from what Elrohir perceived to be the aftermath of the nightmare. "Stay wit you? I sweaw I be good!"

Squeezing the boy tighter to him, the twin assured him, "Of course you can stay with me, Estel!"

All of a sudden, small arms pushed against his shoulders so that Estel could look into the other's eyes, cocking his head in an uncomprehending manner. "S-tel?"

Seeing no recognition in the boy's eyes at the name, Elrohir exclaimed, "Ai, Estel! Are you all right? You're acting, well… strange. Are you sure it's only a nightmare bothering you?"

The boy started struggling in Elrohir's grasp until the elf was forced to set him on his own two feet again. "'M not S-tel!" the child nearly yelled, clutching the pillow with a vice like grasp in front of his chest as if it was a shield protecting him from harm, backing away slightly from the taller figure. "'M Aw-gone! Why you call me dat? Is _me _mommy, is _me_! Don' you see?"

Elrohir stood there for a moment, confused. "Mommy?" he whispered to himself, eyebrows rising to impossible heights. _He thinks I'm his_ **_mother_** Sure, he had long, dark hair and it was night, but that was NO reason for the small human to mistake him for a female! If Elladan ever heard about this he would never hear the end of it! _Then again, if **I **look like a female, then he does as well…_ That made him feel a lot better.

Elrohir would have nearly called the child 'Estel' again before he remembered: that would only upset him more now. "Aragorn?" Elrohir felt uncomfortable calling him that; if the wrong ears overheard Estel's true name… Shaking his head, the elf was determined not to think about it.

Hearing the familiar name, Estel slowly shuffled closer and looked up at the other with huge pleading eyes. Children trusted so easily and his little brother was looking to him to make it all better – even though he thought he was someone else. "It's all right, little one. You're safe…" Kneeling down, he held out his arms and waited until the other moved in them again. "How about we're going to see Ada anyway, huh?"

Estel moved over into his brother's arms and allowed himself to be lifted once more. "Dada?" he whispered hopefully. His father would make everything all right again!

Elrohir was thinking the same…

x x x x x

Elrohir quickly walked to his father's room, making sure not to wake any sleeping elves. Estel had surprisingly been quiet enough on his wanderings not to wake anyone – if he himself hadn't been awake already he would have missed the soft patter as well. Elrohir was glad that when Estel had yelled he hadn't woken anyone – they must have been too far away from the other rooms… The younger twin shuddered slightly as he thought of all the things that could have happened to his little brother – for one thing he could have been hurt if that vase had fallen or because of another obstacle… What if he had reached the kitchen and opened the knife drawer?

Soothingly stroking through Estel's soft curls Elrohir soon reached their father's bedroom. Deciding that knocking would awaken not only his father, but Elladan as well, Elrohir just opened the door – quickly shutting it behind him. He was fairly sure that his twin had managed to find sleep almost immediately after he had settled onto his mattress. _Lucky him…_ Though worried for his little brother, Elrohir had a hard time keeping his eyes from glazing over in sleep. After all of his trying earlier, his body chose _this _moment to allow him to sleep!

Estel was blearily looking around. It was too dark to really make out his surroundings and the closed curtains blocked most of the moon and starlight, but this room looked somewhat familiar. "Dada hewe?" he whispered.

Soft rustling of the bedcovers could be heard as undoubtedly Elrond had woken.

"Dada?" Estel asked again, hearing someone moving in the darkness.

Before Elrond had a chance to say anything, Elrohir spoke up, "_Aragorn_ had a nightmare, Ada." Though there wasn't sufficient light to see the surroundings with human eyes, their elven ones hardly had a problem piercing the darkness. Elrohir minutely shook his head as Elrond was about to scold him for using Estel's birth name, urging his father to understand the situation.

The elven lord didn't understand the reason behind it, but he agreed to Elrohir's silent plea. "Aragorn…" he quietly spoke, hurriedly lighting a candle before walking over to his sons. Estel looked at him in the dim light; silver tears were running down his face and his lip was quivering slightly. Elrond's heart clenched at the pitiful sight.

"Dada…" the boy said again before struggling out of Elrohir's arms, dropping his pillow in the process. "Make dem go, dada…" Estel pleaded.

Elrohir was glad that the small human had accepted their Ada to be his father and wondered at this for a short moment. Apparently appearances didn't matter, for _he _was not a female!

As soon as Estel was transferred into his Ada's arms, he looked around hurriedly – worried. Seeing this, Elrohir quickly bent down to pick up the decorative pillow. The twin was worried, still seeing no recognition lighting up the bleary grey eyes…

"Mommy? Pillow pwease…" Estel begged, holding out one hand.

Waiting for his youngest son to grab a tight hold of his favourite pillow, Elrond walked over to a huge comfortable chair and sat down in it with Estel clutched to his chest. One eyebrow rose at hearing Estel address Elrohir as 'mommy' and he looked at a slightly blushing Elrohir, but wisely played along. Knowing that the child was still seeing orcs in his dreams and battlefields he started speaking soothing words to him. "The monsters can't hurt you, little one," he muttered, soothingly stroking through Estel's curls, "It was just a nightmare…"

"Was so weal!" Estel objected, "Monsuws huwt you 'n mommy 'n when I waked 'n youw not thewe 'n I coud'n fine you!"

Obviously Estel was speaking about his real parents, but why he was acting like they were them was a mystery to the ancient elf. Tilting Estel's head up, he studied his son's eyes and released a breath that was both relieved and pained. "Hush hush… I'm here now… They didn't hurt us… You're safe… Go back to sleep, little one… The morrow will create happy memories for you. Sleep…" Elrond's hypnotic voice soon caused Estel to turn limp in his arms and, careful not to wake the child, the elf lord indicated for the younger twin to follow him. They moved to Estel's room and gently, Elrond laid his son in his bed. The ancient elf, having caught his son walking through the halls one time himself, was sure that Estel would be fine for the rest of the night.

Then Elrond turned to his other son, who had been looking at the two in concern and the youngster was about to ask his father what was wrong with Estel, when he saw the other elf shake his head. Silently he followed his father out of the room.

"He was wandering the halls, not knowing where he was and thinking I was Gilraen. He remembers…" Elrohir said concerned because of what all this meant.

"His subconscious may remember still, but I can assure you that when he will wake Estel will not remember th-" Elrond started to assure.

Elrohir's eyes turned disbelieving. "When I called him Estel just now he insisted that _that_ was not his name, that his name was Aragorn. How can you be sure that he will not remember?"

Elrond laid one slender hand on his son's shoulder, calming him. "He was still asleep, Elrohir. I've caught him walking the halls one night as well and the next day he couldn't remember being out of bed or speaking to me. It will be the same this time, I'm sure."

The twin frowned, not understanding, "But he spoke, he walked…"

One corner of the elf lord's lips quirked up in a slight smile, "It's called sleepwalking, young one. It sometimes happens with humans."

"But Ada! He could have hurt himself! He nearly knocked a vase off its stand. What if it happens again?"

"It might," Elrond admitted, "but not this night. I suspect something is troubling him – something he's seen or heard… we won't know unless we ask him."

Seeing the thoughtful look, Elrond studied his son closely, "What are your thoughts?"

"Elladan and I returned from patrol tonight and we were covered in orc blood. Estel was standing on his balcony, peering between the bars…"

Elrond closed his eyes and shook his head sadly. "I don't think he realized it was blood – he's seen you return from patrols before, even though I try to keep him away from you two until you have cleaned yourselves up, but it might have been the cause. Perhaps there is an entirely different reason, or perhaps there is no reason at all. It's frustrating we don't know what it is for certain!" Gently clapping his son on the shoulder, Elrond was prepared to enter Estel's bedroom again, "Don't worry about it, Elrohir. I will speak with him in the morning – figure out what he remembers and whether something is troubling him, but for now I think it'd be wise for you to return to your bed as well, you're nearly asleep on your feet!"

Elrohir nodded, pleased to know his father would stay with Estel. "Yes, Ada. Sleep well…"

Elrond nodded as well before moving inside and sitting down in one of the chairs in the room. He would watch his youngest son – make sure that Estel stayed in his bed for the rest of the night and that his dreams would not be haunted by monsters.

Elrohir returned to his own room and lay down once more onto his soft bed. There had been a reason for his restlessness after all! He'd liked to think that the Valar had guided this night – making sure that no harm would come to his little brother… This time his eyes instantly glazed over – sleep had finally reached him.

**The end (!!)** ****

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**A/N2:** (!!) well, it was supposed to be, but I received many requests for another chapter, so be sure to check out chapter 2/ the sequel!

Please review? It would really bring a smile to my face! : )


	2. 2Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** don't own them. They belong to J.R.R Tolkien…

**A/N:** It honestly **was **supposed to be a one time shot, but because several people have wanted to know why Estel was sleepwalking I decided to write one more chapter. An explanation is given at the bottom in case you're wondering about the reason. As always, you know I'm not Tolkien, so if the characters or anything seems off to you, forgive me for taking the liberty with them. Enjoy!

**'Replies' to reviewers: **

**Amlee: **thank you for the very nice compliment! Ah, whether you will find the answer to your question satisfactory I don't know, but there must be a reason why I decided to make a second chapter… : )  
**NekoMegami-chan: **great you liked it and if you're reading this I hope you'll enjoy this part as well!  
**secretkeeper11: **and I hope to see more from YOU as well! Don't let the bunnies win over you, but cook them over an open fire! ;)  
**sielge: **_blushes_ you guys will make me either very red for a long time from all the blushing or you'll blow up my ego. Thanks! :D  
**HarryEstel: **_looks suspiciously_ Did I ever review one of your stories, or have I still not? Hmm… give me a while and I will review them! I remember something about liking what I've sneak read… (if I am repeating myself – sorry! My mind is a sieve lately) Well, I'm glad that the plot's unique – it's getting harder for everyone to think of new stuff (but then again – there will never be enough h/c!) :s  
**Someone Reading: **well, you did it. You and the others' requests softened that weak spot and I finally did the second part. Whether your questions will be answered or not – you will find out…  
**Rede: **thank you! Glad you liked it! :D  
**grumpy: **ah, seeing as this is a second chapter and you always seem to find my stories, I'd like to say "thank you for your wonderful reviews!" Your idea was actually the same I had, but read on and enjoy! : )  
**Elven Kitten: **thank you very much! Glad you liked it and I hope you will enjoy this part! :D  
**Princess Faila of Gondor: **was this what you meant with 'more like this'? Hope you like it!**Boromir: **ah, for you the wait hasn't been all that long, but here it finally is! The sequel (though actually it _was _meant to be a stand alone). You however were the drip that made the bucket overflow and encouraged me to finish it already! Enjoy!

x x x x x

Chapter 2/Epilogue

Elrond had spent the rest of the night in the chair besides Estel's bed, watching his youngest son for any signs of unpleasant dreams and hoping the boy wouldn't start wandering the halls once again. The concerned father had worried his lip the entire time, something he hadn't done for many centuries. So far, Estel had wandered the halls twice that he knew of. What if it happened again and no one was there to keep him from harm? Elrohir had told him the child had nearly knocked a vase to the ground – what if one of the shards had flown in the boy's direction? And why was this happening in the first place? _Why _was his youngest not resting in bed as he should? In all his experiences with humans before, the elf lord had never actually witnessed it himself nor given thought to the cause…

Luckily, Estel's dreams hadn't become haunted by monsters or other memories and instead the boy had slept peacefully for the remainder of the night with his favourite pillow tucked once more under his head, one small hand occasionally squeezing the soft fabric for comfort. He had looked so vulnerable then, so innocent, Elrond had vowed he would do anything in his power to protect his little one.

Not wanting to worry or upset the child, the elf lord decided to retreat to his own room and wait for the sun to lure Estel to him as she always did. Every morning, Estel would wake up because of the sun peering through a small opening in the curtains and every morning the toddler would scramble out of bed – still in his night shirt – and run to his Ada's room; eager for a new day to begin. Elrond would be 'woken' when the small form climbed onto his bed and small, still slightly chubby hands grasped his face. And every morning his youngest would urge him to wake up in a loud whisper, as if afraid that speaking any louder would wake him.

Elrond smiled, remembering their morning ritual. He had no hopes of going back to sleep again so shortly before dawn and it wasn't necessary as he had rested well enough for the biggest part of the night. The ancient elf opened his curtains slightly so that he could watch the changing colours of the sky and made himself comfortable once more under the bedcovers. As he gazed outside he hoped that Elrohir would not bombard Estel with questions at the breakfast table, but instead wait for him to hear the boy out, or perhaps he would do it before they went to break their fast…

Whether before or after, he _would _have a talk with the toddler later today and figure out how much he remembered. Elrond had done the same thing the first time and he had been glad that the child didn't remember anything. Now, however, he was starting to become frustrated. Would it happen again or would he strain his ears every night for nothing – fearing to hear footsteps while Estel was safely in his bed? The ancient elf quickly discarded the idea of locking his son up in his room at night; that was not the way to go about this, no matter how appealing it might seem at the moment…

Thinking back to several months before, Elrond was left puzzled. The twins hadn't been home that night and Estel had been as happy as he usually was. When the little boy had first arrived here, a period of grieving over his real parents had hit him hard and now, the toddler had forgotten _who _they actually were and was a bright and cheerful child, always smiling unless he'd scraped his knees on the stone pavement or received another small hurt, but then the silver tears would quickly disappear after a hug and a kiss from his Ada. Life was so simple for the little toddler and on the few occasions that he suffered nightmares Arathorn and Gilraen were only vague faces and distant remembered voices among many others. The thing he remembered vividly though were the hideous looking monsters nearly hidden by the darkness and when he woke up he told his Ada that the monsters had hurt _them_, though he had no idea who 'them' were.

Elrond sighed and settled back against the headboard, watching the sun rise in the sky until a small bundle of energy would come for their daily ritual…

x x x x x

Elrohir sat at the breakfast table, shuffling his food around his plate. Elladan sat next to him, wondering what was wrong with his younger brother. What could have happened that had dragged his twin's mood down like it was now? When they'd arrived last night they had both felt the bed beckoning them and he hadn't had any problems falling asleep, so what could have happened in the short period between sleep and waking?

"Elrohir, stop playing with your food and tell me what's on your mind," the older twin scolded slightly, sounding suspiciously like their father.

The younger twin looked at his brother, startled from his musings and a worried frown appeared on his face, "I don't know, Elladan…"

The other elf rolled his eyes at this, "How can you not know? Just tell me what's driven your thoughts so far from the breakfast table!"

Elrohir bit his lip. He'd awoken this morning because Elladan had jumped onto his bed and cheerfully pronounced that it was 'time to rise and greet the new day!', yet he hadn't told him about his own restlessness or the nightly wanderer he had spotted. "Last night, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't find any sleep," he started and, seeing his brother's confused look, continued, "Then all of a sudden, I heard very soft footsteps and when I stepped out of the room I saw Estel walking through the halls…"

Elladan's gaze had turned even more confused, wondering where this story was leading to, "Go on…"

"I caught up to him and he didn't notice me. I talked to him and I got no answer back… until I shook him, yet then he stilldidn't see _me_!" Elrohir conveniently left out who Estel had thought him to be, "He talked to 'me' yet also not and I brought him to Ada who told me that our little brother was sleepwalking!"

Elladan frowned, he'd heard of the phenomenon, yet to know someone who suffered from it was quite another matter. "Did Ada know why?"

Elrohir shook his head, "No, but that Estel was wandering the halls isn't what bothers me so much, Elladan. He stumbled into a vase and it would have fallen near him if I hadn't stepped in! What if the little tyke does it again and gets hurt?"

The other elf frowned; he didn't know what to do either. The only options that came to his mind was to lock the child up at night or…" All of a sudden a wicked gleam appeared in his eyes, yet before he could say anything their father entered with little Estel on his shoulders.

"Elhiw! Eldan!" the toddler exclaimed, seeing his brothers. He still hadn't mastered the 'r' yet, or their full names. From his seat on his Ada's shoulder, Estel held out his small arms in invitation to be picked up by one of them.

Smiling gently, Elrohir obliged, exchanging a look with his father. Elrond mouthed 'later' and allowed his youngest to be taken from him. "Hello there, little one!" the younger twin said, raising his brother high up over his head and throwing him slightly in the air – rewarded when high pitched giggles filled the large room. "And, have you grown wings yet to fly with?" he asked, holding the young boy in front of him and purposefully trying to look at the child's back before setting him down on the floor and turning the boy around in circles.

Finally stopping with spinning, the human looked up and two slightly chubby hands reached up to cover his mouth, trying to hold in bubbling giggles – that was not a boyish thing to do, only girls giggled! – and shook his head. "No wings, silly Elhiw! Biwd haf wings, not boys!"

The elf slapped a hand against his forehead, "Ah, how silly of me! Only _birds_ have wings?"

At this Estel fiercely nodded. He would know – there was a nest of birds near his balcony and together with his Ada he had watched them before coming to break their fast.

Elrond had settled down to eat already, keeping an eye on his sons and thinking of the things he'd surreptitiously asked his youngest this morning. Whether he'd slept well or had any nightmares, whether he'd been thinking about something that troubled him and if he'd seen his brothers coming home last night. The ancient elf smiled as he remembered a blushing Estel admitting quietly he'd been out alone on the balcony at night (somewhere he wasn't allowed to be without a grown up present) and had seen his brothers. Elrond had decided not to reprimand him this time, for he knew his youngest had been far too anxious to see his brothers again. Upon the question what he'd thought when he saw his brothers, Estel had pouted slightly and asked him 'why can _they _be diwty coming back fwom play and not me?'

Elladan in the meanwhile walked towards his brothers and knelt behind Elrohir's legs, holding them as if hiding behind his mother's frocks and looking with huge 'frightened' eyes at the toddler, "But dragons have wings as well, don't they? Big, scary dragons…"

The night before his brothers had left, the two elves had told him a story about dragons; that they were nearly all gone now and that there were rumours of a fiery red dragon east of Mirkwood hoarding treasure and sleeping on a very hard bed of gold and silver, as all huge worms were wont to do. At the time the boy had thought them 'mean beasties' and that 'their mommies should tick theiw noses!' There had been no sign of fear for the beasts, instead a fascination with them. He'd even hopefully asked whether he would ever meet one, but all his brothers could say to this was that it wasn't very likely and that he shouldn't look for them. Ever since that night the small toddler would stroll through the gardens, asking every lizard that he met whether it was a baby dragon.

Seeing his big brother cowering in front of him, Estel walked behind Elrohir's legs and comfortingly patted the older of the twins on the back, "Is allwight, Eldan. Dwagons faw away! They can't huwt you," and now the little child proudly puffed out his chest, "_me _pwotect you fwom them!"

Elladan let go of his brother's legs and instead held out his arms towards Estel. "I can always count on you, can I not, little brother?" Immediately the small form ran into the elf's arms and hugged him close, feeling the large arms go around him in return, but instead of releasing the hug, Elladan rose and walked back to the table. "Let's fill your tummy before the bear in it will growl at us!" he jested, setting his youngest brother in the high chair.

Estel happily clapped his hands as on his plate bread slices lay, covered in butter and honey and already cut into small pieces. "Hownee fow the beaw!" he cheered, glad to see this special treat.

Elrohir walked up behind him and lightly ruffled his hair. "Are you looking forward to your lessons today, little one?" he asked, for 'real' lessons were something new to the boy – having only started several weeks ago. For the time being they would only be held in the morning, leaving the boy free to play and explore in the afternoons. "Do you like studying with Erestor?"

Immediately Estel nodded his head, "Is fun! Ewstor weally knows a lot!"

All three elves had to smile at this, for though Erestor was undoubtedly very wise, the things he taught his new pupil were still the basic things. Ah, to be young again and so impressed by little things!

"How about playing with your brothers when you've had your lessons, Estel?" Elrond suggested, "I'm sure you have lots of things you want to tell your brothers about the time they were away, don't you?" Seeing the toddler nod his head, the ancient elf smiled, "Now eat up, let's not keep Erestor waiting…"

x x x x x

Once the small toddler had run off to join Erestor in the library, the three elves finally had a chance to talk.

"Have you found out why Estel was out last night?" Elladan worriedly asked, "Will he do it again? What can we do if he does?"

Elrond held up his hand, "I don't know, Elladan. So far he's walked two times in his sleep that I know of and I hope he will not do so again. On both occasions I've made sure he wasn't ill and asked him whether something was bothering him or whether he'd seen something that disturbed him, yet it seems there is nothing wrong. Estel saw you coming home last night, covered in orc blood and dirt, yet that's not the reason he was reminded of his parents – he didn't even know it was blood," the elf lord laughed slightly, "the little tyke found it quite unfair that _you _were allowed to return all dirty when you came back from play and he was not!"

The twins looked at each other; Estel was far too young to be told what his brothers truly did when they left home, but the older beings were glad that he didn't remember the dangers that lurked outside. Let the monsters be a part of his nightmares in the dream world instead of bringing them into the real one… And in a certain way it _was _a game, though a deadly one at that and one that brought back harsh memories…

"How will we know if Estel wanders about at night?" Elrohir asked, "I was lucky to hear him this time, but I fear that if I had been asleep I wouldn't have heard him…"

Seeing the twinkle in his other son's eyes, Elrond immediately negated the idea the twin would mention, "No, Elladan. I too have thought of locking his door at night, but that isn't the way to solve this. Besides, what if he has a nightmare? He would only be more frightened at finding the door locked!" _Not to mention that our little morning ritual could no longer take place,_ the elf lord thought with a crestfallen look on his face – it would greatly dampen his and the boy's spirit – and to Estel it would seem as if it were for no reason at all!

Elrohir thought hard on the possible causes, "Perhaps it's stress relief from his new lessons? That Estel has been worrying about his lessons and now that he likes it, his emotions…" immediately he cut off himself, muttering under his breath, "No, that can't be it – why would his memories have brought him back to his parents' murder? Or…"

Elrond clasped his hands behind his back, walking slowly from the table and steering his sons towards the door, "We may not know what caused it; perhaps his subconscious _did _recognize the blood, perhaps he _was _stressed or there may be no cause. We don't know, so for now I suggest to just see whether it will happen again. I know my ears will be fixed on little footsteps tonight…"

The twinkle that had appeared earlier in Elladan's eyes returned and the elf stole a glance at his twin. He had something to discuss with Elrohir as soon as they were alone…

x x x x x

The day passed swiftly after that. After Estel's lessons were over and he had bestowed a loving hug on Erestor, the toddler was off to find his brothers and play with them. Perhaps they could tell him some stories from their trip and describe the strange things they'd seen, or perhaps they knew some other great stories he hadn't heard yet! The first thing the twins did however, when seeing their little brother running up, was to take one tiny hand each and with small swings in between walk to the kitchens for some lunch. Their father, upon hearing the chatter from his youngest and two calm voices replying every now and then, left his study and his reports in order to join them. This meal wasn't as strained to the elves as it had been before, even though they had come no further to figuring out the problem or a solution. Estel wasn't informed of his nightly strolls though, for it would be of no use to the toddler and would only worry him.

After lunch the three brothers headed for the gardens. Elrohir wondered at the fact that Estel's body didn't seem to suffer from a lack of sleep; the boy was as exuberant as ever! After running around playing tag for quite a while, the youngster calmed down and plopped down onto the grass. The two elves, finally hoping they had tired the young human enough, sat next to him and immediately Elladan found his lap full with the four year old. "Tell me a stowwy?" Estel asked, looking upside down at his oldest brother.

Not one to easily say 'no' to those innocent and curious grey eyes, Elladan asked, "What sort of story would you like, little one? Did you have anything in mind?"

Adopting his most serious and pensive look, Estel scrunched up his nose and thought hard. Not coming up with something at the moment – there were far too many things to choose from! – he eventually shook his head, "You pick!"

Remembering a time from long ago, when they themselves had still been elflings, Elladan started… "Did we ever tell you about a gentle and nice Mirkwood spider we once had as a pet?"

Estel expectantly stuck out his tongue, shaking his head and making himself more comfortable on the twin's lap. "Nice spidew?"

Elladan nodded and looked at Elrohir, smiling as he remembered the little bloated figure. "It all started when we were visiting our friend, Legolas…"

Later, going for a stroll and enjoying the sun while she was still up in the sky, Elrond found his sons in the garden – Estel fast asleep in Elladan's hold and Elrohir lying lazily on the grass. Both twins were watching as the clouds passed by and had serene looks on their faces. Elrond smiled at the sight; Estel was a little miracle the Valar had sent them, for the worries that plagued the twins and his own mind dimmed by his tiny presence to make place for happy memories. If only he could halt the passage of time – children grew up so fast!

x x x x x

When it was time for Estel to go to bed, Elrond told him a short story before tucking him in and kissing him on the head. "Sweet dreams, little one," he whispered to the already sleeping figure. Then the ancient elf walked to the Hall of Fire where Erestor sat next to the fire, two glasses of wine waiting on the low table. Elrond smiled at his long time friend and seated himself next to the other elf – this also was one of the little rituals that brought him comfort: listening to elves telling stories or singing and occasionally taking up the harp himself. Tonight however, the elf lord was content to slowly sip the Dorwinian wine King Thranduil had sent over a decade ago and stare at the fire.

"So you suspect no more nightly wanderings from Estel, my lord?" Erestor asked, having been informed of his little pupil's nightly behaviour by Elrond earlier. He slowly swirled the wine in his glass and stared mesmerized at the flames.

"I cannot say for sure, Erestor, but I certainly hope he won't. He's a happy child and the reason for his nightly strolls remains elusive to me, so what can be done about them?" Elrond was still troubled by the chance that it could happen again, or would his son grow out of it?

"Let's keep an ear out for him then, my friend…" Erestor heaved his glass slightly, as if toasting to a well made decision.

Elrond sighed and sipped some more of the soothing wine, wondering where his two other sons were. Hmm… the twins… _If this continues then I could move Estel into one of their rooms, _for the young elves would have a better chance at hearing Estel toddle about the room then, or at least when he opened the door…

But where were Elladan and Elrohir? Normally they could be found in the Halls as well on nights such as these, keeping him company. Perhaps they were still tired – after all, it had only been yesterday when the two had returned home and this afternoon they had entertained a very excited Estel. The ancient elf decided to check on his oldest sons later to make sure they were all right, for no matter how many years passed they would always be his little ones and he would always worry about them. For now though, he would just sit content before the fire and forget about everything going on in the world around him…

x x x x x

Seeing as everyone was in the Hall of Fire this time of day, two identical figures sneaked through the corridors and stopped before the door to Estel's bedroom.

"Shh, Elladan, we don't want to wake him up!" Elrohir whispered, quickly looking behind him to make sure no one would spot them.

"Hush yourself, Elrohir! It's not easy keeping this thing silent!" the older twin replied in a loud whisper, gesturing to the thing in his hand.

Looking at his twin, Elrohir rolled his eyes, "How hard can it be? It's only a small thing!"

Wisely deciding not to reply to that, Elladan opened the door slightly and stepped inside with his brother following. Looking above the door, the older twin spotted the nail they had hammered into the wall shortly after dinner while Estel had been with their father. Looping his hands together, Elrohir indicated for his brother to step on them so he could attach the small object on a string. Once finished, the twins looked proudly at their handiwork and, giving one last look to the slumbering figure in the bed, silently sneaked out of the room again, taking great care not to make a sound… If Estel would get up in the middle of the night again and leave his room, they would know it!

Above the door the two had attached a small, cupper bell…

**THE END**

x x x x x  
  
**A/N2:** Well, I hope you liked this part and the state in which I left them all… I said I would explain the reason for this: really not all that much is known about _why_ people sleepwalk. A lot of children do it and they 'grow out of it' most of the time, so there might be a reason for their behaviour and perhaps there is none at all. When adults do it, reasons could be that they have something on their mind or are stressed, but seeing as Estel was still a four year old in this story… ah, I'm not telling – I leave it up to _you_ to decide what's the case here…

Would you be so kind as to hit this little button below here? It would really bring a smile to my face! : )


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